Seared Pears. Almond Ricotta.

A light dessert that is as decadent as it is refreshing! With timeless flavors, this dish perfectly compliments just about any season or entree. Put your own special twist on this dish, upload a picture to Instagram and tag it with #plpears for a chance to win enrollment in our Level 1: Fundamentals of Cooking Course ($1000 value). We will choose a winner on Saturday, December 23rd at 12pm PST.

Seared Pears. Almond Ricotta

Difficulty:

Normal

Prep Time:

15 minutes

Servings:

1

Ingredients

ALMOND RICOTTA

1 cup almonds, soaked

¼ cup water

½ teaspoon nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons maple syrup

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons lemon zest

THYME SYRUP

¼ cup filtered water

½ cup maple

1 tablespoon thyme, minced

2 tablespoon lemon juice

SEARED PEARS

1 pear, peeled

1 tablespoon olive oil

pinch of salt

SPICED PUMPKIN SEED BRITTLE

1 ¼ cups pumpkin seeds

¼ cup white or black sesame seeds

½ cup filtered water

½ cup maple syrup

1 cup organic coconut palm sugar

½ teaspoon of baking soda

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

¼ teaspoon cloves

¼ teaspoon cardamom

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch salt

pinch cayenne pepper

Directions

ALMOND RICOTTA

Bring a small pot of water to boil. Blanch almonds for one minute and transfer to an ice bath. Dry the almonds using a towel and remove the skins. Combine everything but the lemon zest in a blender and blend until smooth. Fold in the lemon zest. Set aside.

THYME SYRUP

In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil and slowly add the maple, stirring until well combined. Add thyme and reduce to a medium heat. Simmer on low for 15 minutes, or until a syrup consistency is achieved. Remove from heat, pass through a strainer to remove thyme, whisk in lemon juice and let cool. The syrup can be a thin consistency as it will thicken as it sits. Set aside.

SEARED PEARS

Quarter the pear then remove the core and seeds. Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add oil. Once the oil is almost smoking hot, place pears on the pan. Sear each side of the pears for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they begin to brown.

SPICED PUMPKIN SEED BRITTLE

Begin by toasting the pumpkin and sesame seeds over medium heat in a pan. Constantly move the seeds around the pan so they do not burn. Remove from heat as soon as they begin to brown around the edges and become fragrant.

Next, prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set as until ready to pour the brittle batter.

Clip a candy thermometer to the side of a medium saucepan and make sure it doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan to ensure an accurate temperature reading. Heat the water, coconut palm and maple syrup over medium-high heat. Remember to stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the liquid starts to boil. Stop stirring, increase the heat slightly, and allow the mixture to boil until it reaches 285°F. Once it reaches temperature, add the pumpkin and sesame seeds to the saucepan and stir continuously, making sure the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan, until the temperature reaches 300°F. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. The baking soda will cause the mixture to bubble slightly. This is normal and okay.

Working quickly before the liquid begins to harden, pour the mixture over the parchment lined baking sheet. Use the back of a wooden spoon to evenly spread the batter across the sheet. Allow the brittle to completely harden at room temperature. Break the cooled brittle into shards and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

ASSEMBLY

In a small bowl or plate, serve approximately a ¼ cup portion of the ricotta, followed by two to three pieces of seared pear. Top the fruit and ricotta with a generous drizzle of thyme syrup and fresh minced thyme leaves.

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